Chapter 1: Strange Phenomena in the Underworld

  Director Li sneered and stroked the thick envelope, then picked it up and weighed it in his hand before placing it on the table. He stretched out one hand to gently caress the back of Lu Xiaoying's jade-like hand that was placed on the table, causing her to feel a wave of nausea. She forced a smile and withdrew her hand.

  Director Li didn't hold back because of Lu Xiaoying's withdrawal, he moved his chair to Lu Xiaoying's side, and placed a thick, large hand on Lu Xiaoying's knee, stroking it.

  Lan Jingqiu had been watching Director Li's actions all along. He pretended to walk over to Director Li, picked up a cup of wine and said: "Director, I'd like to toast you."

  Director Li awkwardly smiled and withdrew his hand, holding the wine glass to force a drink, then continued to stroke Lu Xiaoying's thigh.

  Lu Xiaoying couldn't bear it anymore, suddenly stood up, and slapped Director Li to the ground with a loud slap. Lan Jingqiu also stepped forward and kicked him several times, picked up the envelope on the table, cursed "human trash", and then pulled Lu Xiaoying away.

  As she walked out of the restaurant, Lan Jingqiu shook her head and thought to herself that Ouyang Qing was right. People like them shouldn't be given in to. The power of justice doesn't need compromise because evil can never defeat righteousness.

  Director Li was indeed very angry, having been beaten by Ouyang Qing for the past two days, and now being slapped by a woman and kicked several times by Lan Jingqiu. He must avenge this grudge.

  He got up from the ground, shook his body a few times, and sat back in the chair.

  As soon as he sat down, he felt a bit comforted because on the table there was also a sumptuous feast of dishes, with everything from flying in the sky to walking on land to swimming in the sea, all complete. This table of dishes would cost quite a bit of money, and this restaurant was very famous, so even if they had been kicked a few times, they could still get a good deal.

  He didn't stand on ceremony either, picking up his chopsticks to eat voraciously and downing cup after cup of wine. After the table was in disarray, he got up with a tipsy air and walked out of the dining hall, hailing a taxi and just about to get in when a waiter called him back.

  "Sir," the waitress said with a polite smile, "I'm sorry, you forgot to pay the bill."

  "Am I paying the bill?" Director Li turned his head to look at the waitress, hiccuping with his mouth and swaying unsteadily on his feet, saying "You're saying I forgot to pay the bill?"

  "Yes," the waitress said, "Sir, you forgot to pay the bill. Of course, this is a normal thing, many customers have had this happen before, but they went ahead and paid after being reminded. I think you will too, right?"

  "Yes," Director Li belched again and said, "what you said is right, but isn't someone paying the bill today? The two who just left, a man and a woman, I think you should have seen them."

  "Yes, I did see," the waitress said with a smile, "but I didn't see them pay the bill, just like I didn't see you pay the bill."

  "Then ask them for money." Director Li suddenly shouted loudly.

  The waitress didn't get angry, she still smiled and said: "You're walking in the back, our restaurant can only think that you've already discussed it among yourselves, they left and you pay."

  "You see," Director Li said hesitantly, "the problem is I don't have any money on me. As a municipal government official, you should know that people like us with status and position usually don't pay when we eat out. Someone always foots the bill, and they even fight to buy dinner for us. So, I'm broke right now."

  "Yes," the waitress said with a gloomy face, "I know that, but today no one is rushing to pay for you, so you still have to pay yourself. Do you want to use card or cash?"

  "If I don't give it to you?" Director Li said, "I won't have any money. Damn it, I'm also a victim. I got beaten up and thought I had gotten a good deal, but that son of a bitch still took advantage of me. We drank some wine and ate some dishes. So I don't understand why I should give it to you."

  "Damn it, who eats without paying?"

  As soon as he finished speaking, two sturdy men suddenly walked out and stared at Director Li, saying, "I've been watching you for a long time, eating the king's meal, looking for death!"

  Director Li saw the two men's imposing figures, and his body trembled with a chill. He swallowed hard and hastily forced a smile, saying: "How could that be? I'll pay, I'll pay, isn't that okay? It's just that we need to keep track of expenses first. As a government official, eating out and keeping track of expenses shouldn't be a problem, right? Just give me the receipt."

  "No way!" a burly man bellowed, "Follow us in!"

  Another strong man stepped forward, grabbed Director Li's collar and dragged him into the restaurant like a small chicken, walking straight to a room.

  In the room, several sofas were placed, with a high-end office desk against the left wall. In front of the desk was a genuine leather "boss chair", on which sat a young man. The man wore a black suit, his hair slicked back, and two burly men stood on either side of him.

  Director Li entered the room and felt like he had walked into an interrogation room from the War of Resistance. He looked around nervously and asked, "Number 76? Who are you?"

  The man sitting in the chair stood up and walked to Director Li, then gestured for him to sit on the sofa. When Director Li sat down timidly on the sofa, the man said: "Sorry to have startled you, Director Li. Let me introduce myself. We are not Han traitors or spies. I am the owner of this 'Drunken Intention Restaurant', my name is Fang Zixun. It's an honor to meet Director Li today. If I startled you just now, I apologize." As he spoke, he took out a pack of cigarettes from his bag and lit one for Director Li.

  "What did you bring me here for?" Director Li said with a deep drag on his cigarette.

  "Not at all," said Fang Zixun with a smile. "I heard that Director Li was having dinner in my store, so I invited Director Li to sit in the office."

  "Is that all?" Director Li said, his fuzzy brain now slightly clearer.

  "Of course," said Fang Zixun, "Director Li has some connections in the municipal government and also has some relationships in official circles. I have a piece of land in Chengnan District that I plan to use for real estate development, but I heard that this land has already been sold to a real estate company. I'd like to ask Director Li to help me transfer this land to me."

  "Buy land?" Director Li said, "This matter is not under my jurisdiction, I'm afraid I won't be able to help you."

  Fang Zixun smiled and said: "I know, but isn't Director Li's wife the head of the Land Planning Bureau? Isn't your younger brother-in-law from the Urban Construction Bureau? They might be able to help you."

  "This won't do," said Director Li, "they are them and I am me, how can I help you?"

  "That's your problem," Fang Zixun shrugged and sat back in his seat, then said, "Director Li is too modest, don't be coy. If you can help me, you'll get a handsome reward; otherwise, you'll have to pay up immediately. It's up to you."

  Fang Zixun said, taking out a stack of banknotes from his bag and placing them on the coffee table. Judging by the thickness of the money, it should be around 100,000 to 200,000 yuan.

  "But I don't have money now?" Director Li said.

  "That's your problem," Fang Zixun said with a disdainful expression.

  "I'll go get the money and bring it back, how's that?" said Director Li.

  "That's not okay, even if you stay here and let your wife bring the money, I won't do it. Anyway, I need you to pay now, right now, can't wait a minute longer. And even if you give me the money, I still can't guarantee that my staff won't go around talking about how Director Li, such a respectable person, ate out and didn't pay, but instead snuck away quietly."

  "Are you kidding me?" Director Li said with a bitter smile.

  Fang Zixun didn't care, he gave a signal with his eyes, and the people in the office started shouting: "Pay the bill quickly! Pay the bill quickly!"

  The shouting noise made Director Li feel annoyed and irritated, he gritted his teeth, looked at the tempting banknotes on the tea table again, grabbed the money in his hand and said: "I'll try my best to help."

  "Wrong!" Fang Zixun said, "We must think of a way to get it, and it must be gotten into my hands."

  Director Li gritted his teeth, picked up the banknotes on the tea table, nodded firmly, and promised to go back immediately and discuss with his wife.

  Fang Zixun didn't want to keep him waiting here for long, so he nodded, and a sturdy man led Director Li out.

  Director Li put the money Fang Zixun gave him into his bag, looked around like a thief, and then slipped out of the restaurant door.

  He didn't drive because his wife had said that the fuel cost was too high, and if he didn't use the company car, he could only take a taxi when going out. Moreover, when he came to see Lan Jingqiu, he thought that Lan Jingqiu would definitely send him back, but unexpectedly, the plan was completely disrupted.

  Perhaps because he had just done something with a guilty conscience, Director Li was like a thief whose heart is not at peace. With 100,000 yuan in cash hidden in his bosom, as soon as he walked out of the restaurant, he felt that everyone on the street was staring at him with ill intentions, as if they were all eyeing his money. Even the taxi driver's gaze was very venomous.

  He didn't even dare to take a taxi, and could only sneak around on the streets, dodging in and out of the crowd with his hands tightly clutching a bag containing over 100,000 yuan.

  After walking for a while, he suddenly saw a black leather bag on the ground as he was hurrying along with his head down. It was a very nice-looking bag, bulging with a thick stack of banknotes, some of which were even sticking out at the corners, making it very tempting.

  Director Li is also a connoisseur, he thinks he has made a fortune.

  He suddenly tensed up, tense with good fortune.

  So he thought he was lucky, not only did he have over 100,000 yuan in his pocket, but the money in this leather bag might not be less either, because a bag of this quality wouldn't come cheap, it's impossible that something as valuable as jade would contain coarse tea and plain rice.

  Then he pretended to be nonchalant and took a look around, people were coming and going on the street, but no one noticed him or saw the package.

  He quickly bent down and picked up his leather bag, ready to make a run for it.

  It just so happened that after staring for half a day without anyone noticing, just as he bent down to pick up the bag, a young man with red hair walked over and said he had also seen the bag.

  "What I saw first," said the young man.

  "I don't know if you saw it or not, but I was the first one to pick up this bag." Director Li said with a pout.

  "So what? At least I have one too," the young man said.

  "Alright," Director Li, fearing that the two would make a scene and attract other passersby or the owner of the purse, compromised. He agreed to give the young man half the money, of course, only what was in the bag.

  "Let's find a secluded place to divide the money. This bag was picked up by you, and I won't count the leather bag as money," said the young man.

  "You're right! Let's go, no time to waste!" Director Li urged.

  Two people walked into an alley and headed towards a relatively dark place.

  "There's no one here," said the young man, "let's split."

  Director Li nodded, tucked his own bag under his arm, and then picked up the found bag, ready to open it.

  "Did you pick up my bag?"

  Two people were waiting for their change when a voice suddenly came over, very loud in the quiet alley. Then several people ran towards them.

  The red-haired young man saw someone coming and ran away, leaving Director Li standing foolishly in place.